December 29, 2012, 14:19 UTC+3Syria opposition refusal from dialogue is a dead-end position, Sergei Lavrov said

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MOSCOW, December 29 (Itar-Tass) — The chances remain to reach a political settlement in Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after the negotiations with UN and Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi here on Saturday.

“The current situation in Syria is quite tense, the confrontation is escalating, the number of casualties among the civilians is growing,” the minister noted. “But we also share the opinion that the chances remain for a political settlement. Our common duty is to use this chance to the maximum degree,” Lavrov underlined. “We agreed that the agreements, which were fixed in the Geneva communiqu·, should be taken as a basis for our efforts, and particularly on this basis Brahimi conducts the so-called shuttle diplomacy.”

Saudi Arabia and Iran should be involved in the Action Group on Syria, Sergei Lavrov believes.

“The Action Group mechanism is quite needed,” the minister said. “We still believe that Saudi Arabia and Iran should be included in the number of its participants,” Lavrov underlined.

The refusal of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces to conduct a dialogue with the government is a dead end, Sergei Lavrov said.

“When the National Coalition was formed we drew attention to the fact that it was stated in their platform that their position is uncompromising, their goal is the overthrow of the regime. This runs counter to the Geneva Agreements. Their refusal to have any dialogue with the government is a dead-end position.”